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Trying to move away from rattle cans and would like to start using one of my airbrushes instead. Thing is I HATE the compressed air cans - too inconsistent, not too mention the cost really starts to add up with those things.

Anyway, I would like to get a small compressor, but one that does not have to run constantly to keep the tank full. Anybody found something that they like at a reasonable price?

Used to be carried at Wally World for about $50, but I don't see it on their site anymore so they may no longer be in stores either. You'd need to buy a $5-10 pressure regulator at Home Depot to reduce the PSI to the airbrush.

Loud while it's filling and when it kicks in, but it has a tank so it's not always on.

I'm in the same boat as you bubba. I would love to start using the actual correct colors for my stuff and someone close to me has an airbrush but no compressor. Madmartigan, the pressure regulator you said from home depot. Is it a common thing? And how much PSI should it regulate to?

Yeah, you'll find the regulators with their air compressors and air tools. Lowes probably has them, too. Get something that can handle the max pressure of your tank. Then I tend to use my thinned acrylics at about 20-30 PSI. Others may have different preferences and it depends on the paint viscocity really.

xfettx said:

I'm in the same boat as you bubba. I would love to start using the actual correct colors for my stuff and someone close to me has an airbrush but no compressor. Madmartigan, the pressure regulator you said from home depot. Is it a common thing? And how much PSI should it regulate to?

My advice would be to get the “real” compressor, not one of these little shoe-box-size purpose built airbrush compressors. When I say “real” I mean something like this….

I think that's one of the 4gal Craftsman, but there are several brands that would be suitable. But if you get one like this you can use it for all sorts of things... the compressor I use to run my airbrush is a 20gal Huskey and it works great. The problem with the wee little airbrush compressors is they have little to no tank, every time the pressure builds up, you can run the brush for 3-40 sec and you will have a drop of pressure and the motor kicks on, which will never keep up.

Hey Jon, thanks - that's what I had heard about some of the really small ones with the 1gal tanks, but was not sure how long you could go before the pump kicked in again. I want to be able to spray for a good 30 to 45 seconds at a shot.

Be great if the rig was large enough to handle a professional paint sprayer, but flexible enough that I could use it for airbrushing as well.

i've got a 6 gallon porter cable compressor from home depot. it will run an airbrush for a couple of minutes at 25 - 30 psi on the tank. mine came in a set with 3 different nail guns for around $300, so a compressor like that on its own shouldn't cost much at all.

it's got a pressure regulator built in. you may want to get a moisture trap, depending on the humidity in your area. i've never used one, but my compressor is also sitting a few feet from a big dehumidifier that runs 24x7, so that's gotta help

A note of caution about using a full blown compressor. I actually popped the needle right through the front of the airbrush. Silly me, I didn't even use the regulator to adjust the pressure first. Good thing my kids weren't standing nearby.